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Volunteers conference - is a weekday really the best day?

Andy Millar

Ok, I do appreciate that this is a very very late post given that the conference is this Tuesday! But anyway...

I'm a full time consulting engineer. I have been volunteering for the IET/IEE for a very long time now, but of course the day job has to come first. I do enjoy going to conferences, but they have to fit into everything else.

I have a real concern that by, for example, scheduling conferences on a weekday the IET is dissuading working engineers and engineering managers from being involved. Yes, I do appreciate that a large proportion of volunteers are retired, but I feel that scheduling events like this forces a bias towards volunteers being retired, rather than encouraging a mix of retired and the employed. 

I have always felt passionately that if the IET (and other PEIs) are to appeal to engineers and the engineering industry then we need to be clearly a peer group for them. And to be that we need more busy people involved. The engineer or manager who hasn't got time to get involved has, almost by definition, precisely the insight that the engineering community is looking for. (And again, because I know this can be a "light the blue touch paper" subject, this is not to say retired members don't, just that I would hope everyone would agree that we need that mix.)

Now I appreciate that there's a couple of points here. Just as the busy engineer can have trouble taking time off in the week, so it can also often be difficult for them to take time off at the weekend. (If they're under, say, their mid-50s they may be looking after their children and if over may be looking after their parents!) And also some companies will give time off to attend IET events - although in my experience not many do.

But I'd just like to be reassured that this potential issue is being constantly and seriously considered?

Anyway, I do hope all goes well at the virtual conference, I cannot be there as I will be in a client meeting all day.

Thanks,

Andy

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    Andy,

    Very well said, totally agree with what you have said, Im in the exact same position as yourself, self employed consultant and clients demands must come first. It would be good to see evening and/or weekend oppertunities for such things, just the same as the other week with training update for Eng Council 4th Edition to professional registration assessors, I was very lucky that my diary allowed me to join just one of the advertised sessions.



    Gareth

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    Andy. Fully agree that even large companies are not keen to give time off for people to attend this type of event unless they can see a very direct benefit.
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    Andy,

    I do agree with the points you raise, but I think we also need to remember that the IET staff who run these events may also have problems with weekends. This is especially true of events held at Savoy Place where building staff would need to be available at a weekend (catering, security, etc.) so I can understand the problems the IET would face in trying to arrange for an event at a weekend.

    I would certainly welcome a weekend event if it took place as it would be easier to arrange attendance (at present at least - come retirement there probably wouldn't be a weekday issue). 

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    Thanks Andy (and others) for your comments.

    It is always tricky trying to schedule an event like this, as you have pointed out what suits one person is often troublesome for another. This year we faced other issues when scheduling - we thought at one point that the conference might be able to take place in-person, we were also trying to fit within the IET@150 closing celebration period, and once we had confirmation that it would be virtual we wanted to make it accessible 'live' for as many of our volunteers outside the UK as possible. 

    Some of the content will be available after the conference to view on-demand for those who are not able to join live. And we have tried to programme the day to give people the option to drop in for sessions that they are able to engage with even if they cannot stay for the whole thing.

    It has been several years since we have been able to hold a large conference for all our volunteers around the world, and I'm sorry we have had to disappoint some of you, but to your final point Andy Millar‍ - yes, we are constantly thinking about how we can schedule things to engage with as many, as easily as possible. We will include all your thoughts in the post-event feedback as we review what worked and what might be done differently to improve next time.

    Many thanks

    Alex

    IET Head of Strategic Engagement

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    Hi, I agree with the above points raised, but I also understand the need for it being mid week.  I also work for a large company and receive only 2 volunteer days per year. Today I would like to listen to the whole event but I can only listen to the key notes speaker and one other session due to project meetings/secondment.

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